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St Augustine’s Parish Primary School 119 Napier St, Creswick, Vic 3363

Reviewed: 2018 Ratified: 2018

Next Review: 2022 Version: 1.1

Behaviour Management Policy

Rationale

St Augustine’s Primary School is committed to fostering a positive culture and a safe and inclusive learning environment. The dignity of each person is to be respected at all times. This implies that each person cooperates with mutual trust and respect so that all students are able to fully participate in an environment that enriches their spiritual, physical, intellectual, emotional and social growth and outcomes.

From time to time, students, for various reasons, engage in inappropriate behaviours. The response and educative process in understanding this bahaviour by others can either hinder or assist in long-term positive behaviours of the individual. It is important, therefore, to have a whole school approach to expectations, development of knowledge, skills and capabilities, support, response and management of student behaviour that is consistent with the school’s vision.

Policy Statement

St Augustine’s provides a whole school approach to behaviour management that is based on developing student knowledge skills and capabilities in understanding and demonstrating positive behaviours. It also provides clear expectations, processes and consequences that will be implemented if there is inappropriate behaviour.

Principles

St Augustine’s supports and gives expression to the belief that each individual is at the heart of Christ’s teaching through fostering wellbeing and pastoral care.

Enhanced student wellbeing contributes significantly to improved student learning outcomes. Effective student behaviour management, as an element of pastoral care, is therefore recognised as promoting the achievement of learning outcomes and contributing positively to school improvement.

Student engagement and regular attendance assists in developing appropriate behaviours through the implementation of whole school strategies supported by targeted and individualised support when required.

Effective whole-of school approaches to behaviour management requires age appropriate education and skilling of students through processes focused on individual and community wellbeing, and on ensuring a just and reasonable balance of individual and community rights, needs and responsibilities.

Discipline will be applied in a way that is proportionate to the behaviour and upholds procedural fairness. It will not include, under any circumstances, corporal punishment.

Actions and consequences have an educational role and aim to foster positive relationships and retain the dignity of students.

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Every member of the school community has a right to fully participate in an educational environment that is safe, supportive and inclusive. The safety and wellbeing of others will be an important consideration in determining the actions and consequences to inappropriate behaviour.

The school wide approach will be consistent with the Catholic Education Office Ballarat Guidelines for Behaviour Support (2016).

St Augustine’s respects privacy and data protection legislation and will not divulge outcomes of actions or consequences other than to the individual student’s parents.

Implementation

St Augustine’s Primary School will:

collaborate with the school community to implement a positive behaviour management approach based on restorative justice and processes that are consistent with the Catholic Education Office Ballarat, Guidelines for Behaviour Support (2016) which includes the processes, if required, for exclusion, suspension, and expulsion (in the case of serious offences)

ensure that teacher supervision is effective in all aspects of the school environment

monitor school attendance and student engagement

ensure that there is professional learning for staff to support them in implementing the behaviour management strategy

provide learning opportunities for parents to understand and support the school wide approach

reinforce positive behaviour management through school and class rules focusing on respect, justice and responsibility

ensure that the curriculum includes positive social skills and behaviours that are consistent with the ethos of the school to enable students to value diversity and build a culture of learning, community and engagement

promote student voice and participation to provide students with a sense of ownership and empowerment as well as contribute towards school improvement

support families to engage in their child’s learning and build their capacity as active learners

implement a student support team (SST) to assist teachers, students and parents in behaviour management and in developing Individual Behaviour Management Plans (IBMP)

monitor student data on wellbeing and behaviour through surveys and incident records

establish social / emotional and educational support for vulnerable students and monitor and evaluate progress

provide whole school processes and levels of intervention to identify and respond to individual students who require additional assistance and support

reinforce to students’ key messages of positive behaviour such as feedback and acknowledgment

build strong links with the local community to gain access to an extended network of community members, professionals and educators who can provide expertise and experience that can build the capacity of our school and our teachers to respond to the needs of the students

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Documentation and Data Analysis

Major incidents on yard or during class are recorded in the Student Behaviour Management Register (staff room) and teachers keep anecdotal records for minor incidents depending on frequency and context.

Teachers will communicate to parents if there are major incidents such through student diary or via phone. This may also involve the SST taking into consideration the context and whether it is an isolated incident.

Teachers communicate to parent on minor incidents when the behaviour is consistent or has begun to escalate. This should also be referred to the SST.

The behaviour support team will monitor the behaviour management register and analyse student wellbeing data such as school-based survey and the School Improvement Survey.

Professional Learning

The SST will coordinate professional learning such as restorative justice, positive behaviours, social and emotional learning, dealing with specific behavioural issues, identifying and responding to suspected abuse and learning and teaching within an inclusive classroom.

Professional learning will include understanding needs (skill development) and assisting families and students from different backgrounds in implementing behaviour management strategies.

Professional learning will be provided to staff through staff and team meetings and targeted learning through external providers.

Catholic Education Ballarat Guidelines for Behaviour Support (2017) will be used in conjunction with any professional learning and in understanding of documentation requirements, consequences for student behaviour including exclusion and processes for major (serious) behaviours that may result in suspension and expulsion.

New staff and emergency teachers will be inducted on the policy and approach.

Communication

The Behaviour Management Policy will be available on the school website, referred to in the Staff and Parent handbook.

Teachers will induct student at the beginning of each year regarding expectations and specific school rules, including care and use of digital technology, and processes for reporting incidents or if they are feeling unsafe at school. This will be revisited throughout the year.

St Augustine’s will communicate and collaborate to external agencies such as the Catholic Education Office Ballarat for additional assistance or expertise in dealing with specific behaviour management issues.

It is an expectation that parents communicate any issues or concerns regarding their child that may have an impact on their behaviour. This would include any specialised reports from an outside agency that would assist the school.

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Student Management

It is expected that teachers:

set clear expectations

address behaviour that is off task or expectations

give clear instructions

redirect learners when off task

follow through on consequences

reinforce positive behaviours

discuss with the STT any concerns or strategies to improve behaviour management

ensure that learning is engaging and considers the diverse needs of students

Responding to Unacceptable Behaviour

Redirecting low level behaviour – students will be reminded of the expected school behaviour and asked to think about how they might be able to act more safely, more responsibly or more respectfully. This will encourage self-reflection and ownership of behaviour.

Targeted behaviour support – students who are identified, as requiring more targeted support to assist them in meeting the expected behaviours will take part in the school respond strategy. These students will receive increased daily opportunities to receive positive contact with adults. They may also receive academic support, mentoring or intensive social skills training as required.

Intensive behaviour support – students requiring more intensive support are referred to the SST (principal or delegate, student wellbeing leader, classroom teacher). The role of the support team is to facilitate a Functional Behaviour Assessment; work together with the child and parents to develop appropriate behaviour supports; monitor the impact of these; and, make adjustments as required. Professionals from other agencies may be included in this process when it is appropriate to do so.

Consequences for Unacceptable Behaviour

St Augustine’s makes systematic efforts to prevent problem student behaviour by teaching, modeling and reinforcing expected behaviours on an ongoing consistent basis. When unacceptable behaviour occurs, students experience predictable consequences. The school seeks to ensure that responses to unacceptable behaviour are consistent and proportionate to the nature of the behaviour.

All students and staff achieve this through school/class meetings where unacceptable behaviours are named and the expected consequence is decided and agreed upon. This will be consistent with the whole school approach to processes and strategies for student behaviour.

All consequences must be consistent with the Catholic Education Office Guidelines for Behaviour Support (2016).

Restorative justice procedures should used to facilitate the conversation regarding behaviour.

In the case of a student being removed from the classroom for a brief period (such as unable to settle, needs to be moved from peers, or being disruptive), the student must be supervised at all times and provided with suitable learning activities. If a student requires consistent removal from class, it must be

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reported to SST and a behaviour management plan is to be implemented. For minor behaviour problems, removal from class would not be normally used.

Minor problem behaviours, such as:

minor breaches of the school rules

behaviours that do not seriously harm others, or

behaviours that do not violate the rights of others in a serious way

would receive a consequence such as removal from an activity for a specified amount of time, an apology, restorative conversation, time out or re-direction. If the problem continues than a positive behaviour plan is put in place. This is discussed with parents and student.

Major problem behaviours, such as:

behaviours which significantly violate the rights of others

behaviours which put self / others at risk of harm

would receive consequences such as removal to a supervised withdrawal room, alternate lunch time activities, loss of privilege, parent contact, referral to SST, or in extreme cases – suspension.

When responding to problem behaviours, staff members ensure that students understand the relationship between the behaviour and the consequence, and what the expected behaviour is. Strategies to do this could include having the student:

articulate the relevant expected behaviour

explain how their behaviour differs from the expected behaviour

describe the likely consequences if the problem behaviour continues

Identify what they need to do to change their behaviour

If another student has been affected by this behaviour, then a restorative process should be implemented in addition.

If a student has been suspended and the behaviour continues then parents will be required to attend a meeting. The student may also be required to attend. The purpose of this meeting is to outline the next step in the process. If the behaviour still continues, it may result additional suspensions and then consideration for assisted transfer to another school or expulsion. The process is outlined in the Catholic Education Office Guidelines for Behaviour Support (2017).

The school may require the parents of a student to also seek other professional advice for the school to better understand and implement a behaviour management plan and any relevant strategies for learning and teaching that would assist the student. It is expected that parents would cooperate with this request.

In situations when it may become necessary to use restrictive intervention to protect the safety of students and the school community, the school will follow the CECV Positive Behaviour Guidelines.

The school will maintain a register of suspensions/expulsions and exclusions of students which will be kept by the Principal and held in a lockable cabinet.

Any imposed penalties will be consistent with the CECV Positive Behaviour Guidelines.

Sexual Abuse- Student Offenders

Student sexual offending refers to sexual behaviour that is led by a student 10 years and over which may amount to a sexual offence. This would need to be reported to police.

Refer to resource Identifying and Responding to Student Offending (and Template) available at http://www.education.vic.gov.au/school/principals/spag/safety/Pages/sexualassault.aspx

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Refer to the resource Four Critical Actions: Identifying and Responding to all Forms of Child Abuse in Victorian Schools which provides procedures to follow. This resource is available at DET http://www.education.vic.gov.au/about/programs/health/protect/Pages/stusexoffdefine.aspx

The above resources can also assist where a student is under 10 years of age.

Teachers should inform the principal and seek further advice from the school’s child protection officer in determining the correct process and outcomes.

Maintaining Consistency

St Augustine’s will ensure procedural fairness, through teacher participation in regular professional learning sessions to review and the policies and procedures. Students will also receive training on how to respond appropriately when other students display problem behaviours, or when they are re-directed or receive a consequence for problem behaviour.

This Policy should be read in conjunction with:

Duty of Care Policy

Learning and Teaching Policy

Pastoral Care and Wellbeing Policy

CECV Child Safety Commitment Statement

CECV Positive Behaviour Guidelines

Pastoral Care Policy - Ballarat Diocesan Schools Advisory Council

Code of Conduct for Caring for Children” - Professional Standards Catholic Diocese of Ballarat

Whole School Approaches to Supporting Positive Student Behaviour” (2015) - CECV

Safe and Sound Practice Guidelines (Occupational Violence)”, (2014) – CECV

Guidelines for Behaviour Support (2016) – Catholic Education Office Ballarat.

Privacy and Data Protection Act (Vic) 2014 http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/vic/num_act/padpa201460o2014317/